Clip for watch bracelet

ABSTRACT

A clip for watch bracelet, formed of one piece of plastic having a trough for receiving a watch bar and two branches capable of being detachably connected while one branch can be attached to the watch band or bracelet whereby said watch can be detachably connected by the clip to one side of said watch.

United States Patent Epiard [451 Aug. 22, 1972 [54] CLIP FOR WATCH BRACELET [56] References Cited [72] Inventor: Eugene Jean Robert Epiard, Besan- UNITED STATES PATENTS France 3,169,004 2/1965 Rapata ..248/74 PB [73] Assignee: Societe dite: Compagnie Industrielle 3,236,242 2/1966 Galiley ..24/237 du Bracelet C.I.B. (Societe 3,050,578 8/1962 Huebner ..24/73 SA Anonyme), Besancon, France 3,402,435 9/1968 Merser ..24/73 SA 3,516,631 6/1970 Santucci ..24/73 SA [22 Filed; 22 1970 3,561,037 2/1971 I-Iachtel ..24/237 [21] App]. No; 100,600 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 620,704 3/1949 Great Britain ..24/265 WS [30] Forei n A licati Pl" 't D ta g pp on Io" y a Primary ExaminerBernard A. Gelak Jan. 23, 1970 France ..7002447 Attorney-Linton & Lint0n 52 u s C] 24 241 I [57] ABS CT l l 24/241WB 322 A clip for watch bracelet, formed of one piece of plastic having a trough for receiving a watch bar and {g fi 17/00 two branches capable of being detachably connected e 0 arc 5 265 while one branch can be attached to the watch band 24/265 AL, 265 SH, 241 S, 241 SA, 73 AP; 248/74 PE or bracelet whereby said watch can be detachably connected by the clip to one side of said watch.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENIED M1822 I972 INVENToR [UGENE JTAN ROBERT EPIARD Bf M 'V ATTORNEYS CLIP FOR WATCH BRACELET The present invention concerns a clip for watch bracelet of the quick-fastening type.

The state of the art on this subject can be illustrated by French Pat. No. l 546 247, filed Dec. 1, 1967. Such a clip, made of sheet steel, permitted to quicker attachment of the clip-bracelet assembly on the barholder of the watch, in the manner of a snap hook. The attachment of the clip to the bracelet was done by engaging one of the branches of the clip in a slot of the lining at the extremity of the corresponding end of said bracelet which extended beyond said clip and had a self-adhesive surface apt to cover said clip after mounting on the watch.

Technical requirements and fashion having evolved, such a clip is no longer suitable for bracelets made of plastic material or metal and, generally, for current bracelets made of a single band, eventually stratified,

but whose different layers are inseparable.

The clip, subject of the present invention, which is suitable for all existing bracelets, is remarkable in that it is made of plastic material, molded in a single piece, having in section the form of a V, whose two branches can be applied and hooked one over the other, thus surrounding the bar of the watch, the outer face of one of said branches of the clip comprising means for the fixation of the extremity of one of the bands of the bracelet.

The present invention is better understood from the following description made in reference to the attached drawing, given merely as an indication, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clip according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in longitudinal section of this clip;

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing its attachment to a watch bracelet.

Referring to the drawing, it can be seen that the clip, made of semi-rigid plastic material, but elastically deformable, is obtained by molding in a single piece.

The clip has three parts: a median part 1 in the form of a trough whose edges are extended by two branches 2 and 3 capable of being applied and fixed elastically against one another.

When the two branches 2 and 3 are applied one against the other, the trough l is closed and forms a sheath capable of surrounding the bar A of the watch.

The keeping of branches 2 and 3 in contact is provided by a device for mutual coupling formed by hooks 4 projecting from the upper face of branch 3 arranged facing branch 2 and capable of being engaged elastically in openings 5 of branch 2 by pressing both said branches one against the other. To this end, the distances separating the openings and the center of the trough and those separating the corresponding hooks and said center are substantially equal.

The arrangement of branches 2 and 3 with respect to the trough l is such that the two said branches are locked one against the other, their plane of junction is situated tangentially to the bar A of the watch.

To this end, the inner face of branch 2 is tangent to the trough, while the inner face branch 3 is situated in a plane whose distance separating it from the bottom of capable of traversingsholes in the extremity of band B of the bracelet, or r lrnrng, allowing it to fasten said band to the clip.

In fact, teats 6 constitute rivets whose extremities 7 are flattened by fusion of the material.

Branch 2 extends beyond the extremity of branch 3 and permits, by a lever effect, the opening of the clip to free the bar of the watch.

As is shown in FIG. 3, the clip can be used bare but it can also be covered with a self sticking tongue forming extension of the outer covering of the bracelet.

I claim:

l. A clip for watch bracelets comprising a clip of a single piece of elastically deformable plastic material having three portions with one portion being in the form of a trough and the other two portions being two elongated branches each integral with an edge of said trough portion, said trough portion having a length less than that of the bar of the watch, said branches being disposed in a V in a normal unstressed condition, means both branches being more rigid than said trough, a transversely elongated hook on the inner surface of one branch having an overhanging lip extending away from said .trough and snappingly engageable with an opening in the other of said branches; for detachablyretaining said branches one on the other when said trough is enrolled around the bar of the watch and means on said one branch capable of being fastened to the bracelet.

2. A clip for watch bracelets comprising a clip of a single piece of elastically deformable plastic material having a rough portion capable of being enrolled around the the bar of the watch, said trough portion having a length less than that of said bar, a branch portion integrally extending from an edge of said trough portion in a plane on a tanget to said trough portion, a second branch portion which is shorter than said first branch portion, positioned obliquely in relation to said first branch portion and being an'integral extension of a second edge of said trough portion, said second branch portion having an interval face positioned in a plane spaced from the bottom of said trough portion a distance substantially equal to the diameter of the bar of the watch and means for making said branch portions more rigid than said trough portion, a transversely elongated hook on the inner surface of said second branch portion having an overhanging lip extending away from said trough and snappingly engageable with an opening in said branch portion, and means on said second branch portion for fastening to the bracelet.

3. A clip for watch bracelets as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means is provided by ribs on one of said branch portions and hooks on the other of said branch portions for connecting said branch portions.

4. A clip for watch bracelets as claimed in claim 2 wherein said second branch portion has rivets extending therefrom capable of insertion with openings therefore in the bracelet and being riveted thereover. 

1. A clip for watch bracelets comprising a clip of a single piece of elastically deformable plastic material having three portions with one portion being in the form of a trough and the other two portions being two elongated branches each integral with an edge of said trough portion, said trough portion having a length less than that of the bar of the watch, said branches being disposed in a V in a normal unstressed condition, both branches being more rigid than said trough, a transversely elongated hook on the inner surface of one branch having an overhanging lip extending away from said trough and snappingly engageable with an opening in the other of said branches; for detachably retaining said branches one on the other when said trough is enrolled around the bar of the watch and means on said one branch capable of being fastened to the bracelet.
 2. A clip for watch bracelets comprising a clip of a single piece of elastically deformable plastic material having a trough portion capable of being enrolled around the the bar of the watch, said trough portion having a length less than that of said bar, a branch portion integrally extending from an edge of said trough portion in a plane on a tanget to said trough portion, a second branch portion which is shorter than said first branch portion, positioned obliquely in relation to said first branch portion and being an integral extension of a second edge of said trough portion, said second branch portion having an interval face positioned in a plane spaced from the bottom of said trough portion a distance substantially equal to the diameter of the bar of the watch and means for making said branch portions more rigid than said trough portion, a transversely elongated hook on the inner surface of said second branch portion having an overhanging lip extending away from said trough and snappingly engageable with an opening in said branch portion, and means on said second branch portion for fastening to the bracelet.
 3. A clip for watch bracelets as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means is provided by ribs on one of said branch portions and hooks on the other of said branch portions for connecting said branch portions.
 4. A clip for watch bracelets as claimed in claim 2 wherein said second branch portion has rivets extending therefrom capable of insertion with openings therefore in the bracelet and being riveted thereover. 